Z3 Gas Mileage?

[Bimmerista]

Avoid the 4-cylinder. My ex-GFs parents had one & it was slow!! I haven't driven a 1.8 in a while now, but its very comparable to the eta engine.

[bmwmike]

it's probably lighter, more aerodynamic, and also less gay than...

lol!


and yeah those ratings were from edmunds so..

[Mystikal]

There never was a 2.3. It was badged 2.3 but was a M52B25 (like the 323is, etc).

I'd also never buy a Z3 over an S2000. That's just nuts.

[rwh11385]

There never was a 2.3. It was badged 2.3 but was a M52B25 (like the 323is, etc).

I'd also never buy a Z3 over an S2000. That's just nuts.

+1. 4-banger at least.

bigger six would have me, gay car or not

[bmwmike]

I'd also never buy a Z3 over an S2000. That's just nuts.

1.9 for sure, if the Z3 had the 6, id take the BMW hands down..

[TIATO]

Another hand for the 1.9L Z3

The car is NOT a dog, one must just know how to drive it. Unfortunately, after the Z3 introduction in '96 the 2.8 and 3.2 stole the limelight and relegated the 1.9 as a has been.

I owned one for 5 years.

Facts:

Out of all Z3s produced, the 1.9 is the lightest at 2750 lbs.

The 1.9 is the BEST handling Z3 model. The M44 sits low and raerward in the engine bay. Track front to back was the same. The car is very neutral and also has the best static and dynamic balance out of all Z3 produced.

Fuel consumption is amazing. On long highway trips, I could pull 430 - 450 miles out of its 13 gallon tank.

Cheap to insure.

Of course in the years that I owned the Z3 it was extensively modifed:
At its heights the car had the following:

Dinan CAI
Dinan Software
Dinan throttle body
Supersprint exhaust
Koni adjuatable suspension ( coilover)
GC shock mounts
M3 strut mounts reversed for more neg. camber
Racing Dynmaics Strut bar
HMS rollbar
4 pt Schroth harnesses
Recaro SRDs

In this configuration, at the track ( Watkins Glen, Lime Rock) the car put many faster cars to shame ( of course the driver also something to do with that) but the car was very, very capable.

The car could outbrake, outcorner and outaccelerate coming out of corners many faster cars.

When schools started to ban convertibles from schools I sold the car and bought a '91 318is for track duty. The driving dynamics are very, very similar between the two vehicles, so I was able to adapt very quickly.

Best part was that operating costs were low and grins were high.

One must just know how to drive momentum cars.

Dont count the 1.9 out.

[bmwmike]

thats a sexy z3^

[Rob]

I'm glad Mario aka Giant Killer piped up.

While you're here, can you give us a simple comparison between the 318is and the Z3 1.9 in straight line speed only? I'm just curious, as peoples perspectives of 'slow' are different depending on what they drive

also, how common are LSDs in non-M Z cars?

[TIATO]

LSD was not an option in non-M cars. Like anything it doesnt mean that its not retrofitable.

I find that the 1.9L z3 with the mods that I made and with the 318 in its current state, acceleration is equal.

That said, some time ago when I got together with e9nine and some other e30 gearheads, we tested (parking lot drag) my car against e9nines old farnken ETA, a 320, and a 325.

My 318 beat the ETA, smoked the 320 and just barely lost the the 325.

To further expand the acceleration issue. My daily driver is a supercharged m3 sedan. Beleieve it or not, to me the 318 is slower but not dramatically so.

Yeah I can feel less torque and I dont get pushed back into the seat like I do in the M, but the difference is not that dramatic to me (pehaps Im just so used to the cars and as expected, the different driving styles between the cars is VERY different, so perhaps I just know what to expect and it doesnt seem so dramatic to me) .

A few years ago I had the priveledge of owning an Z3 M Coupe and the 1.9 at at he same time for a few months. Looking back, while the M Coupe was a very capable track car, the driving was ho hum. The 1.9 was so much more rewarding to drive because to make it go fast you have to drive the snot out of it. That added focus neccesary to drive it fast and efficiently so made it a much more rewarding vehicle to drive. Heck it made me a better driver.

So today I use the M3 as a daily driver and the 318 for spirited driving.

Heres another image: